Quantitative analysis of glutamate transporter mRNA expression in prefrontal and primary visual cortex in normal and schizophrenic brain

Neuroscience. 2006 Feb;137(3):843-51. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2005.10.003. Epub 2005 Nov 16.

Abstract

Abnormalities of the glutamatergic system in schizophrenia have been identified in numerous studies, but little is known about the role of glutamate transporters and their messenger RNA (mRNA) expression. In addition, the abundances of the two major isoforms of human excitatory amino acid transporter 2 (EAAT2) or its rat ortholog, glutamate transporter 1, have never been compared in a quantitative manner. Using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, we established that the expression of the EAAT1, EAAT2a, EAAT2b, and EAAT3 transcripts was not different in the dorsolateral prefrontal and primary visual cortices of persons with schizophrenia relative to matched controls. EAAT2a expression was about 25-fold and 10-fold higher than EAAT2b in human and rat brain, respectively. The data provided no evidence of an effect of antipsychotic medications on the mRNA expression of the glutamate transporters. However, because most of the schizophrenic subjects in the cohort had been treated with antipsychotics for many years, it is still possible that changes in transporter expression were masked by medication effects.

MeSH terms

  • Actins / biosynthesis
  • Amino Acid Transport System X-AG / biosynthesis*
  • Animals
  • Antipsychotic Agents / pharmacology
  • Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 1 / biosynthesis
  • Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 1 / genetics
  • Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 4 / biosynthesis
  • Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 4 / genetics
  • Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 5 / biosynthesis
  • Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 5 / genetics
  • Haloperidol / pharmacology
  • Humans
  • Photoreceptor Cells
  • Prefrontal Cortex / drug effects
  • Prefrontal Cortex / metabolism*
  • RNA, Messenger / analysis
  • RNA, Messenger / biosynthesis*
  • RNA, Messenger / isolation & purification
  • Rats
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Schizophrenia / metabolism*
  • Visual Cortex / drug effects
  • Visual Cortex / metabolism*

Substances

  • Actins
  • Amino Acid Transport System X-AG
  • Antipsychotic Agents
  • Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 1
  • Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 4
  • Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 5
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Slc1a3 protein, rat
  • Slc1a6 protein, rat
  • Slc1a7 protein, rat
  • Haloperidol